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Brewpub owner seeking changes to historic building
Resident waiting on OK from preservation commission
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A Flowery Branch man working to open the city's first "brewpub" is trying to get an OK from the city's Historic Preservation Commission to make some changes to the 95-year-old building housing his business.

Paul Coggins, owner of Toasted & Tapped, plans to ask the commission for a "certificate of appropriateness" that would allow him to modify the front porch awning to include a permanent roof cover and to install two signs at the 5603 Main St. location.

"We're going to use the existing (canopy) frame and put a few roof trusses at the same angle as the roof above it and put shingles on it," he said Wednesday.

"It's going to look like the building, but there'll be a wooden sign with our name on the front."

The building at the corner of Main and Church streets was originally a residence and was formerly the home of Major McGill's Fish House.

A public hearing on the matter is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. The preservation commission is set to vote on it after the hearing.

Coggins began pursuing the business in March, asking the City Council to tweak its alcoholic beverages law to allow for "brewpubs," or restaurants where beer is made and served on the premises.

The City Council approved the change, limiting brewpubs to making 5,000 barrels per calendar year.

A brewpub is fairly common in metro Atlanta but a first for Flowery Branch, which has several restaurants around town that serve alcoholic beverages.

Coggins, a Georgia Tech graduate, just received his business license from the South Hall city.

"We're hoping to open in the next two to three weeks," he said.

Coggins has had other hoops to jump through to reach his dream.

"Hopefully, I'm getting the federal government's brewing license any time. They told me it was approved last week," he said. "I'm still waiting on state licensing as well. I'm not going to open until we can do all the brewing and serving beer there."

Coggins opened the restaurant for a one-night event Tuesday - a celebration for Mike Miller, who won election as Flowery Branch mayor.

An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect location for the new restaurant.